Ballymena Academy is a long-established grammar school in County Antrim, founded in 1828 and now one of the biggest and most respected schools in Northern Ireland. It sits on an extensive 88 acre campus on the Galgorm Road and has grown from a small provincial school serving the local farming community into a large mixed institution with around fifteen hundred pupils. The motto, Tenax Propositi, reflects the school’s traditional identity built around discipline, ambition and steady academic performance.
The school is organised into four houses named after local landmarks and runs a broad co-curricular programme. It is particularly well known for its rugby, hockey and athletics pathways, supported by modern sports facilities and long-term staff continuity. Leadership has passed through a small line of principals since the nineteenth century, with Stephen Black taking over as headmaster in 2014 after a decade at Antrim Grammar.
Sport is central to the school’s culture and Ballymena Academy is consistently one of the top rugby schools in Ulster. The 1st XV has won the Ulster Schools Cup three times and holds the record for most Subsidiary Shields. The Medallion sides have also enjoyed multiple titles, including the inaugural U16 Cup in 2021. The hockey programme is equally established on the girls’ side, with several provincial titles. Alumni include international rugby players, Olympians, politicians, academics and public figures, adding to the school’s strong reputation inside and outside Northern Ireland.